Thursday 15 November 2018 13:32, UK
Jurgen Locadia says he is thinking about leaving Brighton in January and claims he has not had the chance "to show what I am worth”.
The Dutchman joined the Seagulls for a then club-record fee of £14.1m from PSV in January this year, scoring against Coventry and Swansea early on in his Brighton career.
However, he is yet to find the net in eight Premier League games this season, with all but one of those appearances coming from the bench, and Locadia says he has never had a chance to prove himself at the Amex.
"I try to stay positive, but I also get older. I am now at an age that I have to play weekly. At Brighton, I do not feel that my situation will change quickly," he told De Telegraaf. "In my opinion, I never had the chance to show what I am worth. I think winter is a good time to think if this is still good for me.
"I never had a real clear explanation as to why I do not play. The manager will find the other strikers better. I must, of course, respect that. But it is also my career, I cannot keep saying 'yes and amen'. I train super hard, I am fit, but I especially have to show it in 10 minutes of inclusion. That is really difficult."
Locadia says he often thinks about his lack of starts under Chris Hughton, insisting that other expensive signings Jose Izquierdo and Alireza Jahanbakhsh have been given time to settle and were eventually given game time while claiming that he has been "waiting for a year".
He added: "I think about it a lot. And then I first look at myself. I think that in training sessions and also during competitions, however briefly, I show what I have.
"The whole storyline is wrong. That is what makes me angry. I was fit in February, scored goals and also played a good match against Manchester United in the FA Cup. After that I hardly played, while they wanted me at all costs in January. In the summer I put in a good preseason, but in vain."
The 25-year-old now insists that he will have a decision to make during the upcoming transfer window.
"In the summer a departure from Brighton was not an option, although there was interest from beautiful clubs. Then I agreed with my agent to look at the situation in the winter. Soon there will be a conversation," he said.
"I respect Brighton, but I hope they respect me in this situation. I'm only human. I want to go for the highest level and not be loaned to a club in the Championship, for example. I hope for a club in Spain, Germany, something like that. Of course I have to show it myself and then hope that I get a fair chance.
"Brighton really seemed like the perfect next step. I also feel that I have become even more complete as a footballer. But then I want to be able to measure myself with other players. And not just in training. "
